Gopher Basketball
James Anderson, Oklahoma State-With the departure of Mario Boggan and JamesOn Curry, a vacuum of points will exist for the Cowboys this season to be scored. Anderson will compete for minutes in the backcourt, but this 6’6″ freshman seems to possess the talent that will force Sean Sutton to make him a primary option. If Oklahoma State is a presence at all nationally, I guarantee Anderson is making a huge impact in Stillwater.
Jerryd Bayless, Arizona-Among the highly touted freshman debuting this season, Bayless has not garnered the buzz of some of his peers, but the 6’4″ point guard will likely end the season with many accolades. Stepping into the starting point guard role for the Wildcats, Bayless is expected to dominate both via scoring and distributing the basketball. The last few seasons have been a bit disappointing for Arizona, but the tandem of Bayless and Chase Budinger should vault them back towards the nation’s elite.
Michael Beasley, Kansas State-The top prep recruit in the nation has landed in Manhattan, Kansas. A lot of that has to do with since departed coach Bob Huggins, but Beasley decided to stick around with new coach Frank Martin and his top assistant, Jalonte Hill, who got hired by Huggins because of his AAU connections with Beasley. Beasley is the type of player who can bring the national cameras to Manhattan, as he will be expected to lead the Wildcats to a NCAA berth in what will likely be his only season on a college campus. Beasley’s intensity has been questioned at times, but never his talent and as he showcases himself for the NBA scouts, I would be surprised if he allows that issue to arise.
Nick Calathes, Florida-There are a lot of minutes available on the two-time defending champion Gators, and expect Calathes to gobble up as many as he can. The 6’6″ wing has point guard skills and will likely emerge as the top perimeter scoring option to complement Marresse Speights on the blocks. Calathes is described as having the type of floor game that makes his teammates better and that will be quite the advantage for Billy Donovan to have alongside point guards Walter Hodge and Jai Lucas.
Corey Fisher, Villanova-Foxsports.com writer Jeff Goodman describes the 6’1″ point guard as tough, hard nosed, and Kyle Lowry with a shot-for those who recall the frenetic Lowry, trying to imagine anyone more active boggles the imagination. Fisher’s presence should allow Scottie Reynolds to play off the ball more and one of the most entertaining backcourts in the nation is born.
Johnny Flynn, Syracuse-Flynn grabbed my attention in last spring’s McDonald’s All-American game with a emphatic open court slam dunk. Since that game features little else but slam dunks, you can understand that Flynn’s was impressive to stand out in the crowd. Flynn offers more than just impressive slam dunks however, as he starred this summer with the Under-19 USA Basketball team, leading the team from the point guard position. Expect Flynn to seize the starting point guard slot from day 1 for the Orange, and don’t be surprised if Jim Boeheim’s team is relevant again, in large part to this 6’0″ dynamo.
Eric Gordon, Indiana-If you look up the definition of lightning rod in the dictionary, it now has a picture of Eric Gordon next to it (the Illinois dictionary has him located next to much less flattering and more profane definitions). This promises to be a wild year in Hoosier land, with Gordon capturing a lot of attention thus far because of his de-commitment from Illinois and the association with (ahem) questionable methods employed by Coach Kelvin Sampson. I doubt that Gordon will be able to separate himself from that story this season, but his talents will soon become the focus for college basketball fans. Providing the outside option to D.J. White’s inside presence, a Final Four for the Hoosiers could definitely be in the cards, and Gordon will be at the forefront of whatever transpires this season.
Donte Greene, Syracuse-The last time Jim Boeheim had a McDonald’s All-American forward from Baltimore’s Towson Catholic High School on his team, things worked out pretty well. I am not saying Greene is Carmelo Anthony, but he will be stepping into the starting power forward position immediately for the Orange and will be a focal point of the offense. Greene’s one of those multi-faceted forwards who can face the basket and score, but also get his points and rebounds down on the blocks. Expect a lot of wins and highlights for the Orange spurred by Greene, Flynn, and sophomore Paul Harris.
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma-This 6’10″ forward steps into an ideal situation with the Sooners. He will be surrounded by solid veterans (center Longar Longar, shooting guard Tony Crocker, point guard Austin Johnson, plus incoming juco point guard Omar Leary), but he will be looked upon as the centerpiece of the offense. Most of Griffin’s damage should occur down on the blocks, but he also has the skills to take his game away from the basket and knock down the mid-range jumpers. A return to post-season play for the Sooners is likely if Griffin steps up as expected.
James Harden, Arizona State-Herb Sendek’s rebuilding job in Tempe was made a whole lot easier when top recruit Harden committed last year. Harden is one of three freshman in the Sun Devils starting lineup and Sendek is already offering positive commentary about the cerebral abilities that Harden and the others bring to the court. In a stacked Pac-10 it is hard to imagine Arizona State earning a post-season berth, but the foundation of a talented squad is being laid this season, and Harden will be at the front of that charge.
DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M-You know what? There is some talented big men coming to the Big 12 Conference this season. In addition to the aforementioned Beasley and Griffin is the top recruit to ever commit to the Aggies, 7′ center Jordan. Stepping into the lineup next to power forward Joseph Jones, Jordan should plenty of opportunities to shine, and from all indications where he will make his presence known immediately is on the defensive end. Jordan is an athletic big man who has no problems getting up and down the court and relishes the opportunity to swat away opponents’ shots. Look for the stifling defensive play to continue at A&M under new coach Mark Turgeon, thanks in large part to Jordan.
Kosta Koufos, Ohio State-For the second straight year, Thad Matta brings a 7′ McDonald’s All-American to Columbus. Koufos is a different center than Greg Oden though, as he has a more polished offensive game and can step out and hit mid-range jumpers with ease. Before Oden returned to the Buckeyes last year from his wrist surgery, they were quite the electric fast breaking bunch and it sounds like Koufos style of play feeds right into that style, if Matta elects to go that route.
Kevin Love, UCLA-The superlatives are flowing fast and heavy towards this agile, beefy, skilled big man who many are deeming the key to the Bruins’ 12th national championship. I was fortunate enough to see Love at the Target Center shootout last winter, and the precision outlet passes he delivered with ease will look oh so pretty when he is feeding Darren Collison with those deliveries. Love has a feathery touch on jumpers, takes up considerable space on the blocks, and is an intimidating presence down low defensively. Jeff Goodman from foxsports.com has already predicted Love to be his college basketball player of the year. My advice is to dial into these Bruins games often this season, as Love will be putting on a show that will likely be present for one year at the college level.
O.J. Mayo, USC-The incredible hype machine that is O.J. Mayo has finally landed on a national showcase, that being the campus of Southern Cal (selected by Mayo because he was impressed with the media spotlight it offered Reggie Bush and Matt Leinhart). I have to say, I am very suspicious of Mayo-he seems to be way more concerned with bettering his own self than that of the team. While he dominated on the high school level, when he had the likes of Bill Walker and Patrick Patterson as teammates, it will be tougher to overwhelm the opposition in the Pac 10. I am fascinated though to see how this season goes for Mayo-like his crosstown rival Love, this will almost surely be a one year stint for him and he certainly has the talent to leave his mark on the college game.
E’Twaun Moore, Purdue-Among the highly touted Purdue recruits that landed at West Lafayette, Moore seems to be the one most think will contribute immediate dividends to the Boilermakers. Described as a silky smooth, crafty scorer who can get his points in a variety of ways, Moore will be leaned upon to fill the scoring void that was left with the departures of Carl Landry and David Teague. The Boilermakers will be a fun team to watch develop this season, with Moore expected to lead the charge.
Andrew Oglivy, Vanderbilt-You won’t find Oglivy on any of the prep 100 lists from a year ago because he was developing his skills in his home country of Australia. Kevin Stallings’ recruiting coup became apparent this summer when the 6’11″ center dominated the competition at the World Under-19 championships, averaging 22 points and 10 boards and off of that performance Oglivy is already being projected as a lottery pick for next year’s NBA draft. While not particularly athletic, Oglivy is described as a bull on the blocks and he also has a deft passing touch. Oglivy brings a different dimension to the Commodores this year and I expect him to mesh very well with his teammates.
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky-Patterson’s late commitment to the Wildcats not only gave the Kentucky faithful a shot of adrenaline off the Billy Gillispie hiring, but it also gave Kentucky something more tangible-a talented offensive player on the blocks who should start immediately and provide some balance to the talented perimeter that Kentucky has going. Expect Patterson to produce double digit points, solid rebounding numbers, and a building block for Gillispie in Lexington.
Anthony Randolph, LSU-I don’t know if LSU is going to very good this year, coming off a disappointing season which saw the departure of Glen Davis at season’s end, but if they bounce back this season, Randolph will likely be a major part of the renaissance. A skilled 6’11″ forward from Dallas, Randolph’s game is from the Kevin Garnett school of big man play, meaning that he can handle the ball adeptly, stroke shots from the perimeter, and also make noise down in the paint. LSU has some veteran talent returning, so don’t be surprised if the Tigers bounce back strong, with major contributions from the precocious Randolph.
Derrick Rose, Memphis-The accolades are already starting to flow for the talented Rose, who many college basketball observers are already calling the best point guard in the nation, two games into his college career. Rose can do it all, and words cannot describe the jaw-dropping talent that he possesses. If John Calipari is ever to win a national title, this might be the year with Rose leading the way. Another guy to make sure you watch this season, since nbadraft.net has him projected as the number one pick in next June’s draft.
Kyle Singler, Duke-Duke is always noted for those tall, skilled forwards who create matchup problems from beyond the three point arc down to the baseline. Singler seems ready to follow in that proud tradition. He will likely become the focal point of the offense immediately, but he possesses the skills that will allow him to distribute the ball to teammates for quick and easy scores. If you love to hate Duke, here is your next target-Singler will be front and center for the Blue Devils for at least this season.
Coming Friday: Top 30 Games for the ’07-08 Season
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